According to the website of the International Olympic Committee, ‘the Olympic Programme Commission concluded that, taken together, the five sports are “a dynamic and exciting package” that “encompasses both traditional and emerging, youth-focused events, all of which are popular both in Japan and internationally.’

The Commission considered a variety of factors in assessing the proposal, including the impact on gender equality, the youth appeal of the sports and the legacy value of adding them to the 2020 Summer Games in Tokyo. The inclusion of the new sports would add 18 events and 474 athletes, with equal numbers of women and men for all sports except baseball/softball, because softball teams have 15 players, whilst baseball teams have 24.

The final decision on the five sports will be announced in Rio de Janeiro on August 3. If approved, the change would be the most comprehensive evolution of the Olympic programme in modern history, reads the message at the IOC’s website.